Another Word For Courting
by sctwilightvampwolfgal
Summary: Multimouse isn't quite sure why her partner is suddenly looking at her differently or just what to think of the flowers on her balcony at first. "Written for Day Six of Multimouse Appreciation Week.*


Cats and mice weren't known historically for getting along well at all. Mice were usually the prey, and a game of cat and mouse usually in animal terms, did not end well for the smaller of the two. Yet, Marinette despite being much shorter than her partner in fighting crime was not overly worried about cats and mice and potentially being prey to a predator.

Cat Noir was not someone who stepped in to harm someone; he may have to fight Akuma, but his heart was an absolute heart of gold. So, Marinette had absolutely no idea why one day, he just looked at her. It was a gaze that said something that she couldn't read, but he never seemed to give it to her as Ladybug, at all.

He even offered to walk her home after the very, very difficult Akuma fight where she was positive running all through the city would make her legs feel like jello as soon as she detransformed. She gave him an odd look though at the request.

"Won't you transform back soon?" Multimouse asked with a faint sigh, more than surprised at the request. As Guardian and as Ladybug, she had never really offered to walk or taken any of the Miraculous Holders that she knew the identity of back home. It just wasn't something that came up or something that she ever felt that she needed to do.

"I have a few minutes left." He shown her his ring, and she could see that he had enough pawprints to indeed last him until after he dropped her off at her house. They weren't that far away after all.

"I need to find Ladybug to give her the Mouse Miraculous back."

"She's pretty good at finding people." Cat Noir shrugged, and Multimouse realized that maybe he wouldn't get off her tail just yet, though she still wasn't entirely sure where the attention came from.

"She is." Multimouse peeked back up at him, unable to read that look in his eye all over again, "Okay, you may."

Cat Noir met her gaze with a bright smile, and she relaxed. It's not like she didn't technically have to go home to return the Mouse Miraculous to the Miracle Box anyway. She couldn't just be two places at once either. Ladybug and Multimouse couldn't actually appear at the exact same time anyway.

Cat Noir led her down from the rooftops and though he didn't quite offer to hold her hand, she briefly wondered if he wanted to. He walked close by her side, but not close enough to make her uncomfortable, and she wondered briefly just why he seemed so intent on being by her side today.

* * *

Marinette wasn't sure why there were flowers on her balcony today. There were pretty pink roses and some gray flowers and even black and green ones. It was an odd color combination, that only really registered when she was putting them in a vase. Those were Multimouse and Cat Noir colors.

Marinette's face turned bright pink. She wasn't quite sure what to think as she sat down and stared at the vase of flowers, wondering if Cat Noir had started to feel something other than just friendship for her or if he was easily confused or whatever else this could possibly be.

* * *

Cat Noir was standing on a rooftop, and Multimouse still hadn't decided what her excuse would be for interrupting Ladybug and Cat Noir's joint patrol as Multimouse. Of course, that meant that Ladybug couldn't make it, but she half-wanted to turn around anyway and go return to what often feels like her most confident self, the very person that Cat Noir is expecting as he waits.

Multimouse can't quite speak even as she finally wills herself to move to his side.

"Marinette?" Cat Noir looks temporarily confused to see her standing there.

"Shh... Only you and Ladybug know." She holds a finger up against her lips and tries to relax up on this rooftop as she comes close enough to stand completely by his side.

"What happened to Ladybug?" He asks her like she knew he would, even though it's pretty hard to figure out just what to say to the question.

"She's sick today." Multimouse answers on impulse.

"I hope that she gets better soon." The hope in his voice nearly makes her stomach cave in guilt; she hates lying to him, perhaps more than she hates lying to anyone else, though she's not really a big fan of lying anyway.

"Me too." Multimouse agrees.

"So, you were the lucky fill in tonight then?" He smiles at her, and the use of lucky in regard to her throws her off. It's something people say more about Ladybug than Marinette and Multimouse combined.

"I guess so." Multimouse is still searching for the right words to ask, finally they seem to come from nowhere, "Why'd you give me flowers?"

Cat Noir looks as if he can't quite find the words for that simple question, "What do you think made me want to give you flowers?"

"Are you initiating a game of Cat and Mouse?" Flies from her lips before she could even think of stilling the pun or even realize that it is one. She hadn't quite expected that to fall from her lips tonight.

"You can call it that." Cat Noir shrugged, but his eyes were sparkling. Immediately, she wondered why he was okay to just call it that, even if he loved puns, he was normally so vocal about these kinds of things.

"Cat," She took a deep breath, "Why did you leave me flowers?"

Cat Noir paused, looked up at her, nerves palpable in the air between them, "I decided to court you." It sounds so remarkably unfashioned that it catches her completely by surprise. "I didn't want to say it out loud, because that never really interested Ladybug, so I thought maybe I was doing things wrong, and I know that Ladybug doesn't like me like that." He paused to take a deep breath as Multimouse worked to sort out his ramble.

"So, you like me as more than just a temporary partner and friend?" It feels more personal for Cat Noir to fall for Multimouse, knowing that she's Marinette, despite how close Cat Noir and Ladybug are. She knows that his feelings for Ladybug are genuine, and now, she's facing the fact that he seemed to fall for the rest of her too.

"Yes." He smiled, though it still seemed spiked with nerves, "It started a little while ago, and before I knew it, I had fallen for you." Cat Noir paused once again.

Multimouse can't think of a single word or even phrase that would make sense right now, but for once, she realizes that a Mouse in a game of Cat and Mouse, finally does not mind being the 'prey,' even if it means that someone unexpected will receive her heart by the end of it.

"I, for one, don't mind a game of Cat and Mouse." She says, and the words seemed to have tumbled out before she could think them through. They are the truth, and the thought of falling in love with someone new is both a bit scary and positively thrilling. Especially because, she knows that Cat Noir would never be cruel to her and since he managed to fall completely in love with her.

One day, she'd let him learn her other secret, but for today, Multimouse is the one beginning that slow fall into love. Ladybug's turn will be a while later, as Multimouse offers Cat Noir her hand and wonders if skipping out of patrol early might be acceptable just this once.

Yet, she just wants to sit on her balcony and talk to the man that is courting her, that she may one day say, 'yes,' to actually dating. She knows that this might take time, but she's ready to let herself begin the process of rediscovering love with someone new, especially since her old attempts with someone else has never really been the successful kind.

Multimouse still isn't sure if she's always had a soft spot just for her partner in her heart, a spot that slowly warmed and grew in love over all of this time between him or if it was only starting to grow now. Slowly, she knew that she might end up as smitten as Cat Noir ended up with her.


End file.
